Falcons Star TE Will Be Active Against Steelers
Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts (hamstring) will be good to go for Sunday’s season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network. Pitts fully participated in practice for a second straight day after being limited earlier in the week.
The Falcons having Pitts active is big relief for the Falcons’ offense, as he’s one of their top playmakers. Safety DeShon Elliott and linebacker Patrick Queen will have the task of covering the big-bodied tight end on Sunday.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said that Pitts tweaked his hamstring a “couple weeks ago” and that it hasn’t significantly impacted him, but he was limited in practice on Monday and Wednesday.
The Falcons’ first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Pitts is 6-foot-6, 246 pounds and ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash coming out of Florida. He had a 1,000-yard season as a rookie in 2021, but an injury in 2020 and poor quarterback play over the last two seasons has kept him from reaching his full potential.
With Kirk Cousins now at quarterback, the Falcons again expect Pitts to be a big part of their passing attack, along with fellow first-round pick, wide receiver Drake London.
“Drake London and Kyle Pitts, man, are matchup issues,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said. “They really are. Both of them are big-bodied guys who can play the ball above eye level and are vertical threats. As I mentioned, both guys are top-10 draft picks, and I just think that is reflective of their pedigree and talents. So, we’ve got to be cautious about the matchup component of play as it pertains to those guys.”
Pitts was inactive in the Falcons’ last regular season meeting against the Steelers in 2022, as he was dealing with an MCL sprain.
Related: How Will Steelers Slow Down Falcons TE Kyle Pitts?
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